Broward Sheriff’s Office detention deputy Verol Cowans of Port St. Lucie, Florida has been arrested after a woman accused him of repeatedly sexually assaulting her starting when she was 7 years old.
Cowans, 58, is charged with four counts of sexual battery by an adult against a victim under 12. He is being held in Palm Beach County Jail. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.
At about 11:15 p.m. on July 27, 2018, Anthony Garcia, age 28, and his passenger, Karisma Avila, age 19, were killed in a rollover car crash near Primm, Nevada. Garcia had been driving recklessly, and neither he nor Avila was wearing seatbelts. They were both ejected from the car during the crash and died from blunt-force injuries.
At the scene, police found a duffel bag containing $26,000 in cash as well as two jars filled with 64 pounds of THC cannabinoid oil. Police seized the cash using a procedure known as civil asset forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to take possession of an individual’s assets—such as cash, a vehicle, or a house—if they are suspected of being involved in a crime. In most states, criminal charges do not have to be filed for property to be seized.
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The Connecticut Department of Labor has issued two dozen “Stop Work” orders to nail salons in the southwestern area of the state. After an investigation involving 39 nail salons, the department’s Division of Wage and Workplace Standards says the 24 affected businesses were in violation of labor laws.
Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby explained his department is now working with the salons, which are mostly in Fairfield County, to bring them into compliance with the law. The violations include misclassifying employees as independent contractors and failing to carry workers’ compensation coverage. Each salon could be fined up to $300 per employee for every day the business was not in compliance.
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Roman Catholic priest Jean-Claude Jean-Philippe of Homestead, Florida was arrested Friday after police said he drugged and sexually assaulted a parishioner.
Jean-Phillipe, 64, is charged with sexual battery on a victim who was physically incapacitated. He was held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and was released on $10,000 bond on Saturday. The press did not name an attorney for him.
State corrections officer Miya Bell of Homestead was arrested last weekend for allegedly driving under the influence while her children were inside her vehicle and resisting arrest.
Bell, 27, is charged with DUI, battery on a law enforcement officer, child abuse, and resisting an officer with and without violence. She is being held on $25,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The press did not name an attorney for her.
Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog